Car-coupling device.



C. S. FERGUSON. CAR COUPLING DEVICE. APPLICATIOH. FILED NOV. 2. m5.

. Patented July 17, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- C. S. FERGUSON. CAR COUPLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION mm NOV- 2, 1915.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Patentgd J l 1'7 191"} Application filed November 2, 1915. serial No. 59,258.

- To all whom it may concern:

wear and lost motion in the draw head rigging, springs, strap etc; and obviously risks.

the draft timbers tearing out, or draw bar coming loose. It is the object, therefore, of

- this invention to obviate these difficulties and to avoid many similar difficulties inherent in the present type of draw bar.

It is another object of this invention to provide a coupling means between the cars in which the draw bar or beam of each car has only the strain exerted thereon incident to overcoming the inertia of its own car and further in which all of the cars are connected as by a series of links connected together by the coupler head.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the following description is read in connection with the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application, an in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the coupling device showing the same applied to a car, the car body being shown in dotted lines.

a Fig; 2 is a side elevation of the coupling device, showing the same resting upon the car bolsters.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention, showing the same applied to a car having a center sill, the body of the car being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of a modified form of the .invention, and showing the .same resting upon the car bolsters.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 represents the car body which has secured thereto the large-end bolsters 2. These bolsters have mounted adjacent the center thereof the guide brackets 3 between which is slidably mounted the draw bar 4: preferably an I beam and receiving between the flanges thereon extensions on the brackets 3. This draw bar extends the full length of the from the car, as shown, and has its terminals downwardly bent, as indicated at 5, and attached thereto are the coupler mounting members 6, upon which the coupler heads 7 are remov-' ably pivoted. The draw bar, 4. has secured to the Web portion thereof adjacent each downturned end a pair of plates 8 which are spaced from the guide brackets 3 and prov1ded with ofl'set portions between which and the extending portions on the guide brackets are arranged springs 9, lying between the flanges on the draw bar and serving to take up the shock when coupling and to remove the strain from the car in starting and stopping.

Where the car is provided with a center sill such as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, draw.

bars 10 corresponding in shape to the draw bar 4 are arranged upon opposite sides of the sill and have their ends connected togetherat opposite ends of the car by yokeshaped couplin head supports 11. In this instance the guide brackets 12 and plates 13 are located upon the inner sides of each bar, and have interposed between them the springs 14. It is, of course, understood that the springs may be either compresslon or expansion springs, and that as many may be used as are found desirable.

In the forming it will be seen that when a train is made up that each car carries its draw bar which is slidably mounted thereon and, therefore, in a sense is independent of the car body so that in case any one of the cars should break in two the cars behind would still be connected to the engine through the draw bars.

Not only is the foregoing difficulty obviated but the springs which are now employed may be considerably lightened. In the present construction the springs must be strong'enough on each draw bar to pull a whole train, while with the present construction the springs for each draw bar only have to move the car to which they are attached, thus avoiding the inherent defect in the present system of shocks instarting and stopping, which proportionately increase first car started to the last car started and vice versa in stopping.

What is claimed is In a device of the class described, the combination with the bolsters of bar movable thereon and having flanges thereon, guide members on said bolsters exa car, a draw I Q messes tending between the flanges on the draw bar; In testimony whereof I afiix my signature glates secuged to said d'aw bar between saig in presence of two Witnesses.

an es an having 0 set portions s ace fron i said guide members, and springs ar- CHARLES FERGUSON 5 ranged between the flanges on said draw bar Witnesses:

and engaging said guide members and Mrs. CHAS. S. FERGUSON, plates. SALLY N. FERGUSON. 

